After re-reading all of the chapters of my story, I discovered two things. One, my paragraph breaks and separations weren't transferring onto the fanfiction website and it was leaving me confused… So I'll try to fix that so you guys aren't even more confused than I am. Two, I should never trust my computer ever again to review my work! All the weird grammar mistakes were from the stupid spell checker function! Stupid computer, why do you do this to me?
OMIGOD! Baby bunny just outside my window! It's only a foot away from me and I'm gunna die from cuteness!
Well, let's see how good I can do at trying to get back into a story. I'll admit, I've never done this before so don't hate me if it's awkward.
…
"No way…" Issun exclaimed under his breath as he observed his surroundings.
Amaterasu and he had entered Kusa Village to find the entire settlement coated in a thick, unhealthy fog. The wind that usually blew steadily through the mountain pass that held the town had stopped entirely. The mist that hung over everything was a dark green color and it sent chills down Issun's spine. This was no ordinary mist, and he knew it…
Amaterasu looked around the town and shivered. The air was foul when she breathed it in and it seemed to drain her with every exhale. She wanted to turn around and go back into Taka Pass, but she knew there was evil here and she couldn't leave the town and its inhabitants in such a miserable state so she walked onward, though very slowly as she felt short of breath.
Issun might have noticed Amaterasu's strange behavior if he wasn't distracted by the horrible scene in front of him. There were people that had dared to venture out of the safety of their homes that roamed aimlessly around the town. The looks on their faces reflected the way they trudged along the ground. Every single sad soul that was forced to live in this now miserable place was equally miserable.
Issun gravely slipped off of Amaterasu's back and proceeded ahead a ways to get a better view. He looked at the houses; all of the windows and doors were closed up tightly and not even a hint of light shown through. They passed a garden as they continued. A small girl stood with a watering can in a bed of dead flowers, trying in vain to bring them back to life. Everything seemed dead.
"I don't get it, Ammy… What happened here? This doesn't look like a cursed zone but I'll bet something really foul is behind it." Issun said spitefully as he absorbed the whole scene. "The wind should have blown all this nasty fog away, but it's entirely gone. How does a monster make wind go away?"
Amaterasu whimpered once and followed Issun as best as she could. Her breath was coming in short pants and her tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth. Every step was agony and she felt as though an invisible hand was tightening around her lungs. She couldn't breathe. She staggered once but stayed on her feet through sheer power of will. She took a moment to make sure that she wouldn't fall again and followed Issun further through the village.
Much to Amaterasu's horror, they came upon a large structure; a walkway built along the side of a cliff that lead upward to another study ledge on the cliff. Beyond that stood the giant windmill that doubled as the shrine. They would have to climb the walkway to get to their destination. Amaterasu wasn't sure if she could make it all the way to the top but she followed Issun loyally all the same.
Issun looked over his shoulder once they moved further up the walkway at the pitiful town. He was desperate to know what could have possibly done this to the village. Weren't these guys supposed to have a priest and a priestess? What the heck are they doing right now about this whole awful mess? Don't they care about their village being messed with like this…? Issun thought angrily. When he got to the shrine, he'd be sure to give them a good piece of his mind.
They made it to the top of the walkway at last. Amaterasu's eyes were wide from the effort and her breaths were coming out in loud chokes. Her chest heaved powerfully in an attempt to suck more air, but it felt like it wasn't doing any good. Her vision was fading; blurring and swimming back and forth from darkness to light. She was barely aware of Issun calling her name.
"Ammy! Ammy, are you alright?" Issun shouted, running over to her. Why hadn't he noticed this before? Surely, she didn't happen on this condition in merely moments. He grabbed her large head and forced her to look in his eyes. He saw hers going in and out of focus and saliva poured out of her mouth in bubbly strands. With one great heaving breath, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed onto the earth below her.
"Ammy!" Issun screamed, kneeling down beside her. He shook her hard, willing her to wake. "Get up! PLEASE, get up! Come on, Furball! GET UP!"
Amaterasu made no response.
Fear worked its way into every part of Issun's consciousness. Was she sick? Was the great goddess about to die? What would the world do if she were to pass away here? He should have taken better care of her. Amaterasu was obviously dim, why hadn't Issun done a better job of watching over her? It was the least he could have done for a goddess. To make matters worse, he hadn't really ever shown her proper respect with all the rude names he had called her previously.
Issun hung his head, fisting some of her soft, white hair. He clung to it so hard his knuckles paled and his arm shook.
"What have I done…?" Issun whispered quietly.
Amaterasu's fur suddenly began to dull, the white glow disappearing into the fog. Issun looked up and watched in shock as the great white wolf shrunk to the size of a normal wolf. The crimson markings drained away and she became a normal wolf, like what she had appeared to be when he first met her. The Astral Pouch and Tsumugari also faded away and disappeared.
She isn't dead; this mist is draining her divine power! This is no normal fog, it's a cursed zone! Issun suddenly realized. He jumped to his feet and placed a hand on his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. His eyes swiveled around quickly, searching. He knew that there would be demons nearby, waiting to take Amaterasu now that she was too weak to even move. A short, shuddering breath behind Issun told him that he only had mere minutes to clear the curse by himself before Amaterasu was claimed by its evil.
"Hold on, Ammy… I got this one…" Issun reassured her determinedly.
This required some very quick thinking on Issun's part, something that he wasn't particularly fond of. He had a short temper and an impulsive mindset. He had to fight himself inwardly to prevent himself from blindly running into the fog out of rage and leaving Amaterasu unprotected.
Let's see… this entire area is a cursed zone… but it isn't very strong. Whatever started this must have stopped the winds from blowing so the curse wouldn't blow away as well… that means whatever is causing this isn't quite as strong as whatever made those other curses we've seen before… It also looks like I'm the only person who isn't really affected by it, so it's up to me to stop this or Ammy is a goner. THINK, ISSUN! That much is obvious…! Good gods in heaven know this was never my strong-suit… ah… this place has a shrine… so that would have to be the first place a demon would have to take over to make sure that nothing stood in its way to make a cursed zone like this… so whatever is causing this should be in the shrine, holding down the fort!
Issun bent over and picked Amaterasu up. She wasn't her normal huge self but she was still a full grown wolf and very heavy. He struggled with her in his arms as he slowly made his way down the path that he assumed led to the windmill shrine. He had to hurry, for Amaterasu's sake. Her breathing was becoming slower and quieter.
Issun walked onwards until he came to a set of stone steps. He looked up at the daunting obstacle with remorse and anger, but he gritted his teeth and began climbing them slowly.
"When you wake up, you are going to owe me SO big…" Issun gasped out when he was about halfway up the stairway.
When Issun finally made it over the top stair, he collapsed to the ground. Amaterasu flopped limply to his side as he gasped for air, his entire body shaking from the effort he had just exerted. As he sucked air hungrily into his lungs, Issun took the time to see how far along they had gotten. From their position at the top of the stairs, Issun could see a structure nestled closely up against a cliff wall. It looked like a house. He assumed that was where the priests must live. By the house were two clear ponds that would have looked much prettier with their bridges and lily pads that adorned them if it weren't for the curse that hung in the air.
The next thing that didn't fail to impress Issun was the figure of a beautiful young woman lying weakly on the path in front of the house. Issun swiftly forgot about his exhaustion, the curse, and Amaterasu's weakened form that lay beside him. He jumped to his feet and ran to the woman's aid.
"Hey, you okay, cutie?" Issun asked as he gently helped her into a sitting position. He couldn't help but observe her body figure as he held her waist to… support her.
"Oh, this is most unfortunate…!" The girl said weakly, looking up at Issun with her big, doe eyes. The expression of sweet, innocent despair on her face was simply too much for Issun to resist.
"What's unfortunate? Just let ol' Issun handle it for ya-…" He began to say suavely, but she interrupted him.
"I've been possessed in a momentary lapse of vigilance!" The girl cried in sadness.
"You where HUH…?" Issun asked; a fearfully flabbergasted look on his face. It felt as though someone had dropped a bag of heavy stones on his head that drug him down from the sea of dreamland and beautiful maidens in distress back down to the ocean floor of reality… and he was drowning in it.
"And I was trying so HARD to defend the village…" The woman bit her knuckles softly to keep from crying. "Now it shall be reduced to a horrid cursed zone…"
"Cursed zone…" Issun echoed emptily as the situation seeped back into his consciousness, regretful to let his fantasies go.
"Alas, my strength… it wanes… all is lost…" The woman gasped before falling limp in Issun's arms.
Issun swiftly dropped her and backed up.
"This would happen to me…" He said pitifully.
A puff of purple smoke surrounded the woman and a blue imp materialized over top of the woman, its gruesome arms holding her as if to keep her trapped. The imp was much taller and more slender than a green imp, giving it a definite sinister and sickly appearance that unnerved Issun greatly. It also had a flute that it held in its mouth that was hidden by the routine paper mask that imps always bare. It looked up at Issun and shrieked loudly, signaling that it would not let its prey go. Issun took a few cautionary steps back as he frowned in fear and nervousness. This wasn't the kind of imp he and Amaterasu was used to. It stretched out its arm and in another puff of smoke, a huge kite appeared. The imp gripped its corners with its hands and its dirty, scabbed feet before a very gentle gust of wind took it into the air.
As the beast soared high above Issun, two regular green imps answered its call and jumped from the roof of the house and landed beside Issun. He was much more confident about fighting them. With a smirk, he drew his sword and quickly dispatched of one of the imps by slashing a vertical line down its front. Its companion on the ground howled and stabbed at Issun with its flute. He stopped the attack with his foot and pushed with his leg, sending the flute jabbing back at its owner. It hit the imp in the gut and knocked it to the ground. Issun stabbed his blade through its stomach.
He was just gloating about his victory when a glowing blue orb of vile energy fell from the sky. Issun barely managed to dodge it as it crashed into the earth, burning even the dirt. Issun swallowed hard and looked up into the sky just in time to see the blue imp send another attack at him. He rolled out of the way of the second attack as well.
The imp cackled from its safe position in the sky as it sent attack after attack at Issun. It was all he could do but to dodge them. This is getting me nowhere… Issun thought as he jumped out of the way of another orb. This one hit a rock, leaving a large black spot on its face and a small plume of smoke that drifted into the air. Looking back at the rock that could have easily been him, Issun swallowed hard and made a break for the trees. The imp hooted wildly and followed him, sending more of its deadly attacks at him. It suddenly stopped and veered off course, screeching angrily.
Issun leaned against the tree and looked up at the imp, wondering why hadn't continued following him. All he could see were the branches of the tree… That's it! Issun thought jovially, He didn't want to rip his kite! It fights from the air because it's a thin and pathetic weakling. If I can get him down, I'd kick his butt easy!
Issun let a wide smile spread quickly across his face as he jumped into one of the tree branches. The imp watched in curious anger as Issun climbed. Once he thought he was high enough, Issun ran across one of the branches as nimbly as a squirrel. Before the imp could realize what he was doing, Issun had used all of his strength to launch himself off of the branch, using his weight and the whiplash of the branch to propel him further, into the air at the imp. With the skill and power of Amaterasu clear in his mind, Issun raise Denkomaru over his head and, with a great battle cry, let it cut through the air.
The imp screamed and tried to dodge the Powerslash, but it caught his kite and ripped it easily in two. With a howl, the imp plummeted towards the ground headfirst. With a mighty crash, its head made contact with the packed earth of the well-trodden path. Blood splattered and the creature lay dead. Issun landed beside it and straightened up, tilting his hat and throwing back his cloak.
"I am amazing." Issun smiled pride fully.
In a flash of white light, the landscape seemed to shift while the curse was pulled out of the very air and disappeared into oblivion. The fog still hung over the village, but it had lost its sinister quality. Issun also thought he felt a small puff of air, as if the wind was trying to return as well.
Issun heard a sharp gasp and a yip and turned around to see Amaterasu awaken. She had not yet regained real size and markings, but her spunk was back. Amaterasu would recover eventually, just like she always did.
She jumped to her feet, her hackles raised as she looked around wildly. She saw the dead bodies of the imps slowly erode away into black dust that disappeared in a non-existent wind. Amaterasu cocked her head in confusion and sniffed at the disappearing bodies.
"Ya don't have to worry, furball. I showed those guys who's boss. Demons will think twice about messing with the great and powerful Issun from now on." Issun bragged while he twirled his sword lazily, trying to show that it had taken him no effort to do what he just did. With one toss of his sword, he caught it and stuck the sharp end in the ground. He laughed pride fully as he looked over at her, leaning on Denkomaru's hilt.
Amaterasu was stretched out on her back, looking quite comfortable as she dozed. Her front paws were curled into her chest, which rose and fell gently as she breathed softly. One of her paws twitched and she sighed.
Denkomaru slipped out of Issun's grasp and he fell onto the ground.
"WAKE UP, YA USELESS FURBALL!" Issun jumped to his feet and attempted to kick Amaterasu in the side. As his foot came down on her, she rolled to her side in her nap and Issun missed. The momentum of his kick sent his leg up and he fell backwards once again.
With an infuriated scream, he grabbed ahold of the fur and skin on her neck and began to shake her, screaming curses in her face. Amaterasu made a whimpering sound that wavered every time her head snapped backwards and forwards from Issun's abuse. He'd never let her know, but he might have cried with relief that she was okay.
….
YAY! I can't even believe that I could do that! Someone is going to have to tell me EXACTLY how this chapter went because I feel like it was horrible. If it wasn't, I'll keep on writing. If it was, I'll stop and study my old style a bit more before making the next chapter.
Hoorah Issun, you aren't totally useless! You're still an idiot, but you aren't a useless idiot!
…WAKA! …Sorry… he wasn't in this chapter at all and it makes me a bit sad… but it isn't his time to shine quite yet. But fear not for every dog has his day! Hehe, dog… cuz Ammy is a wolf… Shut up!